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3 days/2 nights Program - US$ 315.00
Refugio Amazonas Lodge is a 30 room lodge located in the 1.5 million hectare Tambopata-National Reserve in southeastern Amazonian Peru. With your English speaking guide you will explore the many trails and observation areas in this pristine Amazonian rainforest. Natural attractions include an oxbow lake with giant river otters, mammal clay licks, small monkeys, and hundreds of bird species. The canopy tower provides easy access to one of the world's final biological frontiers: the rain forest canopy. Opportunities for cultural interaction with an Ese'eja: guided activities include ethno botanical walks, visits to small scale farms, Brazil nut camp and other experiences we are developing in association with our local partners. For those interested in delving more deeply into the Amazonian rainforest you can extend your stay and visit the Tambopata Research Center located in the Tambopata National Reserve.
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ITINERARY
Day 1
Puerto Maldonado - Refugio Amazonas
Upon arrival from Lima or Cuzco, reception and transfer to the Tambopata River port in Puerto Maldonado. Puerto Maldonado is situated at the confluence of the mighty Madre de Dios and Tambopata Rivers and is a bustling, booming tropical frontier town. Its principal activities are gold mining, Brazil nut collecting, timber extraction, agriculture and ecotourism. After a brief stop at our offices we will depart on a 30 minute drive to the Infierno Community port, followed by 2-1/2 boat journey by motorized canoe to Refugio Amazonas. The ride from the Tambopata Port to Refugio Amazonas will take us past the Community of Infierno and the Tambopata National Reserve´s checkpoint and into the buffer zone of this 1.3 million hectare conservation unit. Boxed lunch aboard the boat. During our voyage we may see bird species typical of the river or forest edge such as: Black Skimmer, Pied Lapwing, Capped Heron, Jabiru Stork, Roadside Hawk, and several species of kingfishers, swallows and flycatchers. When we arrive at Refugio Amazonas we will unpack and unwind. Refugio Amazonas is a comfortable yet unobtrusive lodge owned by Rainforest Expeditions. We will receive a short orientation and a complete briefing about the lodge trails and activities. Tonight we will be out at the river's edge scanning the shores with headlamps and flashlights to catch the red gleams of reflection from caiman eyes.
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Note: Unless noted otherwise, our guides speak English. We assign guides at 10:1 ratio. This means groups smaller than 10 people will be merged with other groups under one guide. If you would like a private guide or a guide in a language other than English please let us know.
Day 2
Refugio Amazonas
We are up before sunrise for our Canopy Tower activity. A thirty minute walk from Refugio Amazonas leads to the 25 meter scaffolding canopy tower. A bannistered staircase running through the middle provides safe access to the platforms above. The tower has been built upon high ground, therefore increasing your horizon of the continuous primary forest extending out towards the Tambopata National Reserve. From here views of mixed species canopy flocks as well as toucans, macaws and raptors are likely. After our visit to the tower we return to the lodge for breakfast.
After breakfast we continue with our activities. Only a few minutes hike from the lodge there is a beautiful old growth patch of Brazil Nut forest that has been harvested for decades (if not centuries) where the precarious remains of a camp used two months a year by Brazil Nut gatherers can still be experienced. Our guide will demonstrate the whole harvesting process of one of the only sustainable harvested products in the rainforest. Later in the morning we return to Refugio Amazona's port where we board our boat. Five minutes downriver from the lodge lays a farm owned and managed by charismatic Don Manuel from the neighboring community of Condenado. He grows a variety of popular and unknown Amazon crops - just about every plant and tree you see serves a purpose. He has also identified and cultivated many of the medicinal plants used in the region in a little backyard garden. We return to the lodge for lunch.
After lunch and some time to rest we depart for the Condenado oxbow lake. The hike will take us about 40 minutes each way. You paddle canoes around the lake looking for lakeside wildlife such as hoatzin and caiman, hoping to see the otters which are infrequently seen here. You will also be rewarded with overhead sightings of macaws. Later in the afternoon we return to the lodge for dinner. After dinner you will have an option of going out on a night walk. Great chance to see nocturnal mammals and dart and brightly colored arrow frogs.
B,L,D
Day 3
Refugio Amazonas-Puerto Maldonado
After an early breakfast, we depart by boat back to the city of Puerto Maldonado, directly to the airport, in time for our flight back to Lima or Cuzco.
Cost Per Person: Single supplement applies for people traveling alone.
Includes: Programs based on double occupancy. Includes all meals, accommodations and services, all river transportation, and transfer from and to the Airport of Puerto Maldonado.
Not Included: International or domestic airfares, airport departure taxes or visa fees, excess baggage charges, additional nights during the trip due to flight cancellations, alcoholic beverages or bottled water, snacks, insurance of any kind, laundry, phone calls, radio calls or messages, reconfirmation of flights and items of personal nature. Tips.
Boat Transportation: All our boats are 20 foot long, roofed canoes with 55 hp outboard motors. Daily arrivals and departures from every port are scheduled to meet every airline´s arrival and departure with a maximum two hour wait.
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE ORDER OF THE ACTIVITIES OR CHANGE TRAILS DEPENDING ON THEIR CONDITION DUE TO WEATHER OR EXTENSIVE USE.
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